


Little Family

by Tricksterburd



Series: Growing Up [1]
Category: Steam Powered Giraffe
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Gen, More characters and tags to come, Other, Tiny chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-08-20
Updated: 2012-09-02
Packaged: 2017-11-12 12:50:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/491213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tricksterburd/pseuds/Tricksterburd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Peter wanted was a family to call his own. </p><p>What he got was much, so much, more.  </p><p>(Collection of short chapters with looks into the life of the robots and the Walter family that grew with them.  AU, set as the three robots are built as children and made to grow like humans, while still being made of metal.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> These are written on my phone on my Tumblr, and are pulled over onto AO3 as chapters are uploaded. They're small, but cute and fun.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rabbit is built.

“Delilah, my darling, come away with me!”

“Peter!” Delilah laughed as Peter tickled her sides, slapping his hands away. “Peter stop! We’re working, we don’t have time for silly endeavors.”

“Delilah please. We have all the time in the world. You know how I feel, surely you must feel the same.”

“…Peter-“

“Come, we’ll marry, have a brood of children, build on Blue Matter, live a life of inventing and adventure!”

“Peter, I can’t have children. I need to tell-“

“No worry my love!” The eccentric inventor sprung up from his perch on the lab’s window, rushing to the door. “What am I if not a problem solver!”

Delilah shook her head as she watched him leave. He’d never figure it out.  
————-

“Peter, what is this?”

“Not ‘what’ Delilah, ‘Who.’ This is Rabbit, and he’ll solve all our problems!”

Delilah couldn’t deny that she was extremely interested in the little robot that gazed up at her. He was very crude; a boxy little face perched upon far too long a neck, copper frame of pipes and rods, clockwork controls of his limbs open to the world without plating. And in his chest was a large ball of blue light.

“Peter, who is this?” Delilah corrected herself as she knelt to inspect the robot’s face. He was so short, only the size of a child. But his bright copper pink face plates had a glow that had nothing to do with his blue and green eyes.

“Hi I’m Wabbit!” The little robot pipped up, steam flowing from the little red vent on the back of his neck.

“You said you can’t have children. So I built one. I have plans for two others, I wasn’t sure how many you would like.”

“Peter, this is wonderful! How does he work? Can he think on his own, or is he programed with set phrases? How does he move? What powers him?”

“Woah woah there Delilah! Easy. Rabbit, why don’t you go play with your wooden horse hmm?”

“Okay Pappy! Nice ta meet ya Miss Delilah!” The little robot scampered off after Delilah shook his spindly little hand, occupying himself at the little work bench full of wooden toys.

“He’s a full artificial intelligence. He thinks for himself, moves for himself, makes his own decisions. He does have some programming, much like how we’re born with something already in our heads. But he can learn! He has the mind of a five year old child, so he’ll be able to learn as he goes on in life like anyone else would.”

“What powers him?”

“Blue Matter!”

“Oh Peter we don’t know anything about Blue Matter yet! What if it’s as dangerous as Green Matter?”

“Best way to find out then isn’t it? What better than a child who will give us honest answers to our questions?”

“Have you shown this to the Cavalcadium yet?”

“No, I wanted to show you what we could have first. Think of it dearest, a whole happy household of robotic children that learn and grow just like human children can! I built him so certain parts wear out over time and will need replacing with larger, stronger pieces! So he’ll physically grow as well!”

“Peter Walter! You create something so advanced with an unknown property and you don’t even go to the Cavalcadium?! For shame!”

“I, uh. I can have an exhibition ready by next week?”

“Good! You said you had others planned too?”  
—————

“Pappy? When’s Miss Delilah comin’ back?”

“Tomorrow Rabbit. Did you have a good time with her?”

“Yeah! She was helpin’ me draw faces. Can I get a nutter face?” “

‘Another,’ Rabbit, the word is ‘another.’ And why would you want a different face?”

“Because I want dis one! Miss Delilah drew it for me!” Rabbit held up a sketch of a more human-like face, complete with nose and a mouth that could smile, even cute little cheeks that could vent steam.

“This is a good one Rabbit. I’ll look into it after I build your brothers is that alright?”

“Shore shore Pappy! Can Miss Delilah and me feed da ducks tomarra?” “

‘Miss Delilah and I’, and no. We have the day on stage remember?”

“Oh yeah!”

“Bed time young man. Big day tomorrow.”

“Ahh but Pappy!”

“No. Time for all little robots to power down for the night.”

“Alright alright.”

“And don’t forget to polish your framework before you do so mister!”

“Ahhh PAAAAAAAAAPPY! Do I hafta?”

“Yes.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope this is funny, don’t do comedy very often! In which Rabbit is put on display.

“Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed members of The Cavalcadium. I am here today to present to you my latest creation, a fully functional artificial intelligence, able to think and decide for itself. And run on steam and Blue Matter alone!”

There was some muttering through the gathered scientists at Peter Walter’s words.

“I do ask!” Peter had to shout slightly to make himself heard before they quieted down once more. “That you are understanding. See, he has a slight speech impediment, and is a bit shy about it. Please, try not to laugh at it. Now, I present to you the Clockwork Automaton, Rabbit!”

There was a smattering of applause that quickly died out as nothing appeared from the wing of the stage. Peter dropped his arms, grinning sheepishly at the waiting minds.

“Rabbit my boy, that’s you.”

“I don’t wanna.”

“Rabbit.” Peter hissed as he jogged across the stage and knelt before his robot. The copper boy was hiding the the shadows, not doing a very good job with his glowing eyes and chest piece. While he was wearing clothes, Peter had him keep his shirt open to show off the gears and core for the time being.

“Come on Rabbit, they won’t hurt you.”

“Papppy I’m sc-scared.”

“It’s alright, I’ll be out there with you. Nothing to be afraid of. Come on, take my hand.” Rabbit did as he was bid and followed Peter onto the stage, hiding behind his father’s legs. There were gasps and coos of amazement once Peter gently pushed Rabbit out in front of him.

“As you can see, he is able to keep himself balanced and upright. Rabbit here is minimally programmed with the base essentials, such as walking upright, how to speak, and most importantly… how to learn. At this point in time Rabbit has the mind, vocabulary, and attention span of a five year old human child.”

“Liar!” A cry from the audience came, everyone turning to find none other than Thadeus Becile standing from his seat with an accusing finger pointed straight at Peter. “There is no possible way that thing can have any sort of function beyond what you program it to say and do.”

“Oh is that so? Alright then. We’ll prove it. Anyone and everyone can ask Rabbit questions, or request him to do something for you.”

“Rabbit?” A little old lady from the third row spoke up, catching the attention of said robot. “How long have you been turned on?”

“Pappy powered me on last week!”

“And what was your first word?”

“Wabbit!”

“And it’s all he could say for hours.” Peter looked mildly annoyed at the memory before nodding for the questions to continue.

“How do you run Rabbit?” A thin gentleman from the back shouted up. Rabbit rapped his knuckles against his blue core.

“Pappy says it’s this thing, but I drink a lota w-w-w-wata too! Hey, wanna see a trick?”

“This is all very mundane Walter, simple question you would expect us to ask and pre-programmed answers given.”

“P-p-pappy didn’t program no answers.”

“Forgive me if I don’t take your word for it, R-r-r-rabbit, but you are j-j-j-just a robot.”

“Hey!” Rabbit stomped right to the lip of the stage, fists on hips as steam puffed from his neck and mouth. “Don’t make fun o’ my stutta! I d-d-did’t make no fun o’ you Tubby!”

Laughter roared from the gathered adults at the display Rabbit was making. For a boxy face incapable of moving to display any emotion there was a sassy air about him just now. Becile turned red as a tomato spitting angry words in Peter’s direction. Peter, on the other-hand, looked horrified.

“Rabbit that was not a nice thing to say! Apologize.”

“But he made fun of me first!”

“Making fun of him back does not make you better than him.”

“Okay okay. I’m s-s-sorry Mista Fatty Meany Pants.”

“Rabbit!”

The hall erupted into gales of laughter as Rabbit crossed his arms and refused to look at either Thadeus or Peter, who was spluttering and just as red as his rival.

“What Pappy I ap-ap-apolodized”

“ApoloGIZED, GIZED, with a G!”

“Fine, apoloGIIIIIIIIzeDA! He’s still a fat meany pants.”

“RABBIT!”

“This is unacceptable Walter! I demand an explanation and a full dismantling of this creature immediately!”

“Peter, Thadeus, that is ENOUGH!” Delilah’s voice rang over the calamity that was the attending onlookers, causing them too begin to quiet down and gasp for breath. The beautiful young woman stormed onto the stage, disapproval written all over her face.

“Thadeus, that was extremely rude of you! Believing that Rabbit has a mind of his own or not, you DO NOT poke jest at someone’s speech problems. You acted like a child.”

“I am sorry Delilah.”

“Do not apologize to me, say it to Rabbit! It’s his feelings that were hurt.”

“You can’t seriously expect me to-” The glare Delilah gave was enough of an answer. “I am sorry for my behavior, Rabbit.”

“And Rabbit, it is never okay to call people fat or be mean to them.”

“But he is fat!”

“Rabbit.”

“And he started it!”

“Rabbit!”

“Okay okay. Sorry m-m-mista.”

“It’s alright. I shouldn’t have said what I did.”

“Me needer.”

“Now that that’s done, any other questions for Rabbit?” Delilah offered once more, and the Q&A session continued without a hitch.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one’s a bit sad with a bit of a happy ending. We’re going to fudge canon a bit more yeah? In which Peter decides to make Spine and Jon.

“Pappy?” Peter didn’t turn to look at Rabbit. He just couldn’t bring himself to.

“Pappy? Is Miss Delilah gonna come b-b-back soon?”

“No, Rabbit, she isn’t.”

“Oh. Why, did I say sumt’in’ wrong? I can ap-apolodize.”

Peter sighed. He couldn’t hate Rabbit, nothing would ever make him hate Rabbit. But it hurt so much to look at him. He was a reminder of everything he almost had, his dreams of the future. Something he’d never have now. Never have now.

But Peter sighed as he pushed back his chair from the desk, patting his leg in invitation for Rabbit to join him. The little robot clambered into his father’s lap, resting his head against Peter’s chest. The man ignored the fact that tiny Rabbit weighed as much as a full grown adult human.

In the dimly lit study, the two sat in quiet thoughts. Wrapping his arms around his metal son Peter stroked the copper head calmly for several minutes.

“Pappy? What’s wrong?”

“You remember how I had to repair your arm once, when you tripped over that horse and the steam line popped off?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, sometimes humans break too, and need repairs. But sometimes, you can’t fix what’s broken.”

“Do you replace it?”

“No, sadly, you can’t do that with humans. Well, when a human breaks, and you can’t fix it, the human doesn’t power on anymore.”

“They stay off?”

“They stay off.”

“That’s n-n-not good.”

“No Rabbit, that’s not good.”

“Is that why you’re sad?”

“It is Rabbit. Miss Delilah needed to be repaired, and we couldn’t fix it.”

“So… she can’t turn back on?”

“No Rabbit, Miss Delilah can’t be turned back on.” The father and son sat for a while, turning the words in their minds. The Rabbit wrapped his arms around Peter’s neck while the human began to weep.

“‘M sorry Pappy. I’m gonna miss Miss Delilah. I l-l-l-liked Miss Delilah.”

“Me too Rabbit, me too.”

“She was gonna come to our birfday.”

“Our?”

“Yeah. She said when ya finish my my my brovers she was gonna give us a birfday party.”

Peter gaped at the copper bot in his arms. Delilah was excited for the other robots? He had scrapped them, thinking he no longer had a reason to build them anymore. He had already given Rabbit life, he couldn’t take that from him now (though he had considered it faintly for a moment.)

But Delilah had wanted the robots, even though she knew she wouldn’t live to see them. A smile broke Peter’s face for the first time in over two weeks.

“Come on Rabbit, let’s go build you some siblings hmm?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Babbies.

“Father, what are those?”

“Who, Spine, who are these. And they are you new baby brothers. Boys, meet Peter the second and Peter the third.”

“Where’d they come from?”

“Don’t be silly Da Jon! Pappy built dem in da workshop just like da rest o’ us!”

Six pairs of eyes (three of which glowed) watched as Peter chocked and spluttered on the water he had been drinking.

“Was it sumthin’ I said?”

“I’ll explain it to you one day Rabbit, you’re too young just now.” Tonia replied sweetly. She was in bed with the twins in her arms. Rabbit frowned, enjoying the ability to do so with his more human faceplates, at this. Some days he felt like he’d never reach this magical “older” everyone kept talking about.

“Our brothers?”

“Yes Spine.”

“But we are robots, they are human.”

“What does th-that matter? Pappy made both o’ us. Right?”

“Well, yes.”

“So we’re brovers!”

“I. But. We don’t share blood.”

“Blood doesn’t matter. If you love them and treat them as family, they’re your brothers.”

“They’re kinda ugly.”

“Jon!

“It’s alright Tonia. They’ve never seen infants before. Boys, they’ll grow and change, same as you will. They won’t look like this for long.”

“How can we tell them apart?”

“I guess we’ll figure that out later.”

“Peter!”

“What?! I can’t tell them apart either!”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everyone's getting older.

“Daddy?”

“Yes The Jon? That’s right Peter left over right.”

“Can I go to school too?”

“Well, Jon, that’s… um. That’s a good question. You boys are six now, I don’t see why you shouldn’t be able too. Get Rabbit and Spine, get dressed. We have a class to catch.”

———————-

“Colonel Walter this is outrageous! You can’t expect us to take on these robots!”

“Why not? They are my children just as much as Peter and Peter are. And is has become a requirement that all children attend school is it not?”

“Well, yes. But. But they are not real children. I’m sure a private school or a tutor would be much more appropriate.”

“Tonia and I have been over this. My family may come from money, but they are going to learn that they are no different from the rest of the world. The public education system is turning out to be a fine institution and I plan to partake in all it can offer the world.”

“That’s a wonderful speech sir, but your robots cannot attend school.”

“Why not?”

“They are robots.”

“Pappy?” Everyone’s attention was drawn to Rabbit, who was supposed to be sitting in the chair beside Peter, Peter, Jon, and Spine. Instead he was standing on the couch on the opposite wall, balancing himself by holding onto the wall, and gazing at the framed pages. Peter crossed to stand behind him to see what was being asked about.

“Those are certificates of achievement.”

“Oh I don’ care ab-about that. What are the scribbles?”

“Those are words Rabbit, letters.”

“What do they do?”

“They make it so people can speak to each other without having to be in the same room. You write down what you want to say, and others can read it when they want to.”

“Can I do that?”

“Not yet you can’t. Did you want to?”

“Yeah!”

“Colonel Walter. This is highly irregular.”

“I should say so. I don’t know of any other six year old robot boys that wish to go to school with their bothers.”

“Can’t you teach them to read and write the same way you taught them to speak and walk?”

“If that were the way of the world, Mister School Director, there’d be no need for your school at all. Everyone would simply teach their children to read, to write, to complete math, the same way we taught them to survive in day to day life.”

“That is not a fair argument.”

“Neither is telling me my children aren’t real.”


	6. War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the robots go to war. A sad chapter, but the next chapter will be cute and funny.

The years passed smoothly. Peter and Peter did well in school, mostly in the fields of math and science. While at home they studied extensively at their father’s side to learn the ways of Blue Matter. They also learned a bit of mechanics by way of repairing their brothers. Spine surprisingly enough was the first to experience a “growth spurt.”

His left knee had given out one day on his walk home from school.  Peter, Peter, and Rabbit carried him home while Jon took care of his books.  Peter couldn’t have been more excited.

“This is how I built you!”  He exclaimed as he raced around the workshop, his five sons watching with interest as he searched through the piles of goodness knew what.  “Pieces of you were built poorly, so they’d need to be replaced over time so you’d grow!  And you feel it so you know where and what to do!”

Spine looked a bit off for a while.  His lower legs were longer than the rest of him, so he was taller than everyone else for about a year.  His knees were also in a weird place.  When he was standing still while wearing pants you really didn’t notice.  But when he walked you could tell something was off.  Not sure what, just that SOMETHING wasn’t quite right.

Rabbit’s growing was his back support.  Jon’s was his shoulders.  They all looked awkward and somewhat gangly for a bit.

When the boys reached ten years old, though, Peter was waiting for them at the door when they came home from school.  He did not looked pleased.

“Peter, Peter, homework, now.  Boys, workshop.”  Jon hung back after Peter turned and walked quickly to his sanctuary. 

“Is Daddy mad at us?”

“Nah!”  Rabbit threw his arm around his youngest robot brother.  “He’s probably just g-g-got more upgrades for us or sumthin’!”  Spine wasn’t so sure.

Once they were in the safety of the workshop, he hurriedly pressed already packed suitcases into their hands.

“We leave for Africa, now.”

“Pappy?”

“Rabbit, do you remember Thadeus?”

“Ummmm.”

“Mister Fatty Meany Pants.”

“Oh yeah!”

“Boys, Thadeus and I were once great friends.  No longer.  Have not been for many years.  I had lost contact with him.  Come, follow me, we head to the docks.”

“Docks, sir?”

“Yes The Spine.  We must travel to Africa, quickly.  Flying machines are not yet able to support the weight we will be carrying, so a ship it is.”

“Weight?”

“I’m sorry to do this to you, my boys.”  Peter Walter the first helped Jon into the carriage before following in after giving the cabbie directions.  “Thadeus uses Green Matter.  It is dangerous, and outlawed here in the States.  It can be found in one place; rock candy.  Africa has the largest deposit of Green Matter rock candy in the world.”

“Whuts that gotta do wif us?”

“Thadeus is searching for more Green Matter.  He is deranged, children.  Dangerous.  He seeks revenge on the Cavalcadium and myself for what he deems to be injustices.  He had built an army of large copper elephants, and is attacking the rock candy mine.”

“Yeah so?”

“Jon, do you not see?  If Thadeus gets his hands on Green Matter, he could destroy our country.  Perhaps the world, with such power.  He must be stopped.”

“Where do we come in, Father?”

“He is attacking, now, as we speak.  There isn’t much time to stop him.  The various governments of the world have tried, but his robots are too strong for human forces.  We need robots to stop him.  And I do not have time to construct new robots.  I am so sorry to do this to you all.”

They had reached the ship, and were being ushered aboard with all the speed of the United States Navy.  They were being escorted to Africa.  At the moment, though, they were being rushed to the depths of the ship, to a workshop. 

“I have brought what adult pieces I have completed.  I do not have time to build new robots, but I have time to modify the three of you.  You must help us stop Thadeus.  It will be simple!  I will connect you to your adult parts, you take out the elephant threat, and then we will return home and to your children’s bodies!”

The three automatons exchanged looks.  Adult bodies?  Only, in pieces?  They had to fight?

“But Daddy, you told us not to fight people.”

“And that is correct.  But these are not people, these are mindless robots.”

“But, we’re robots too?”

“Not like these.  You have a mind that belongs to yourself.  These are robots that are merely puppets.  They have no thoughts of their own, no souls, no emotions.  They are programmed to move one way, and that is all they do.  They are nothing like the three of you.”

Rabbit rather liked his new buzz saw.  It was round, and shiny, and he had long arms to control it (though he wasn’t very good at it yet.)  He did miss being able to talk though.  After an hour of him going on and on about the huge gun that made up his left arm, Peter opted to remove Rabbit’s jaw and voice box.  Instead, he gave him a flame thrower, so he wouldn’t feel so put out.

“I think you’ll find this will come in useful.”  Peter was relieved that Jon and Spine were too preoccupied with relearning balance to hop around like, well, children with new toys. Which was good, considering Jon’s rocket launcher.  But once they left the ship, the world changed.

The first elephant had been easy.  Peter had brought along the pieces of a project he had been working on at home; a one hundred thirty six foot tall giraffe powered by steam.  Once the boys had been outfitted with their adult limbs and structure, he quickly finished the giraffe that would make travel much faster across the continent.  The giraffe was much larger than the elephant was, allowing for Spine, Jon, and Rabbit to leap from its back and attack the elephant from the vantage point.

When it went down, it was all they could do to get out of the way before it crushed them.  Rabbit, in his joy of winning the fight, ran ahead of his brothers to the fallen robotic pachyderm.  With a whir of his beloved buzz saw, he slashed open the side to finish off the monster.

And froze at what he found.

Humans.  Ten real life humans.  Melted into the seats inside of the robot.  Not melted from the heat of Jon’s rocket, nor from Spine’s Blue Matter canon.  But melted into the robot itself.  Connected to it, growing into the metal and circuitry.  And a sickly green light was cast over the whole scene, providing the answer as to how something like this could have happened.  Blank whitegreen eyes from the “leading” human turned to Rabbit, a metal/flesh arm raising from the controls to grab his copper leg.  The elephant’s trunk rose off the ground.

And Rabbit, in his fright, emptied his entire Gatling gun into the mess science had created.  Once the lead creature was blasted to bits, and his gun empty, Rabbit’s optics turned to the rest of the elephant’s crew.  They were all moving now, zombies, mindless, trying to kill all in their way.  Pappy was right, his flame thrower would come in useful.

“Rabbit?”  Spine questioned when Rabbit pushed him away from the fallen elephant robot.  He and Jon had been about ten minutes behind their older brother.  Now he was keeping them from the enemy.  “What’s going on?”

Rabbit just shook his head, pointing with his buzz saw, and shaking his head again.  The message was clear.  Do not go near. 

With each felling of an elephant, Rabbit would push the younger metal men away, convincing them through motions that they were to stay put, and not follow him.  He’d then carve open the defeated robot, and burn the inside until nothing remained. 

The war was over in three days.  When the last elephant fell, so did Thadeus.  He was hiding atop this one, in a protective room where he could command his troops.  Tossed to the ground he cowered before the three Sons of Walter.  Rabbit rose his saw above his head, the sound deafening even to his own ears.  And Becile begged for his life.

“Rabbit no!”  Peter was running towards them, trying his hardest to stop his oldest.  Rabbit couldn’t kill Thadeus, he couldn’t!  Peter didn’t have to worry, for moments later, the saw slowed to a stop, Rabbit’s arm fell, and the robot crashed to his knees.

Thadeus had always doubted the validity of Peter’s claims to his robots having their own thoughts and lives.  The hate and loathing in Rabbit’s top-skull face, the anger in his glowing eyes, convinced Becile that Peter was right.  No one could program that into a creature that refused to murder a murderer. 

Thadeus was arrested.  His creations melted down.  The mine was safe.  It was time to go home.

On the ship once more, Spine and Jon powered down for the change back to their child bodies, more than ready to become ten years old again.  Rabbit would not. 

“It’ll hurt if you don’t.”  Peter warned.  Rabbit just nodded, allowing his father to switch out his face plates, remove the flame thrower, replace his voice and jaw. It hurt, of course it hurt.  But it needed to be done.

“Pappy?”

“Yes?”  Peter was working on removing the gun from the shoulder.  He stopped when he saw the oil running down Rabbit’s face.

“There were people in those elephants.”  Rabbit’s voice was so quiet.  Peter put the screwdriver to the side, shifting so he was sitting beside rather than in front of Rabbit.  “There were humans in thosethose elephants.  Why didn’t you tell us that?”

All silliness was gone from Rabbit now.  The playing with words, the singsong pitch.  Peter never thought Rabbit could be so serious.

“To be honest, I didn’t know at first.  By the time I found out, it was too late to stop the attack.”

“We killed them.  Us.”

“No.  They were dead long before you stepped in Rabbit. You freed them, helped them.  You didn’t kill anyone.”

“Pappy?”

“Yes?”

“Can you erase this from us?”

“I don’t understand.”

“The Spine and The Jon, they’re asleep.  They never knew.  C-c-c-can you make it so they never knew we were here?”

“Why would you want that?”

“I don’t.  Not for me.  We’re kids Pappy.  We shouldn’t be here.”  Rabbit was quiet for a moment longer, lifting his saw to gaze at his reflection; a mix of child-like innocence and monstrous war machine.

“We’re kids.  They shouldn’t remember war.  Can you do it?”

“Yes.  I can.  What did you mean, not for you?”

“Someone needs to remember those people’s faces.  They died, and no one knew they were even there.  No one should be forgotten.”

And it was in that moment; Peter knew his Rabbit was more than just a ten year old child. 

“If I do this, Rabbit, you can’t ever tell them.  I’ll erase their memories of the last few weeks, tell them they were in for maintenance that took longer than expected.  But you can’t ever bring it up that you know something they don’t.  Are you okay with that?”

Rabbit thought long and hard about it.  He’d be the only one to remember this trip.  This war.  His brothers won’t ever know of their own bravery, their deeds in combat, how great they were as a team.  But they’d be free from ever knowing what war was like.  They could go back to school, and grow up as ten year old boys. 

Rabbit nodded. 

Spine and Jon awoke at home, dressed in their school clothes, confused as to what day it even was.  Peter told them they had been out for a while, there was a problem with their cores and all three of them had been shut off for a while to make sure they weren’t hurt.  They went about their lives, not noticing the sad smile Rabbit would give them behind their back when they made believe they were soldiers at war in the back yard.

Rabbit never regretted the decision he had made with his Pappy.


End file.
